Toronto’s police chief says antisemitism accounted for 56% of recent hate crimes—and calls continued to rise
Myron Demkiw presented the escalating 2024 statistics on Monday.
Reported number of hate crimes has soared in Toronto this fall, with nearly half of all incidents targeting Jews—according to police chief Myron Demkiw
Hate crimes have increased dramatically in Toronto, with nearly half of all crimes targeting the Jewish community, the city’s police chief Myron Demkiw told the Police Services Board on Nov. 23. Demkiw noted that of the city’s 78 reported hate crimes between Oct. 7 and Nov. 20, 49 percent (or 38 of the 78 total) […]
Pierre Poilievre laid out the federal Conservative plan to address hate crimes during a visit to Toronto’s Shaarei Shomayim Synagogue with a pair of Jewish politicians
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre called for an Iranian military group to be designated as a terrorist entity, and pledged to make it easier for community groups to access funds for security infrastructure, as he explained his plan to address hate crimes in Canada. Antisemitic incidents and crimes have jumped dramatically since the Oct. 7 […]
Decision to stay hate charges in Calgary case of pro-Palestinian protester who chanted ‘From the River to the Sea’ raises questions for the legal community
A Nov. 17 decision by Alberta prosecutors to stay charges against a Calgary man for a hate-motivated disturbance after he chanted an antisemitic slogan at a pro-Palestinian rally earlier in the month has left some unanswered questions within the Canadian Jewish community. The move by Calgary police to charge Wesam Cooley, who also goes by […]
The head of Toronto’s TanenbaumCHAT addressed a bomb threat that led to evacuation of the Jewish high school
Toronto’s largest Jewish high school, TanenbaumCHAT, was evacuated after an email bomb threat warned that “many Jews will die today.” Toronto Police searched the school, including with a canine unit, and reported that no explosives were found. The bomb threat is being investigated as a hate crime, said Toronto Police Inspector Jack Gurr At 11:15 […]
Montreal’s Jewish community says it needs more funding for security—and less red tape
Montreal’s Jewish Community Council (JCC) sent an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week asking for more help to address the growing security needs of the community. Over a hundred community organizations signed the letter which asked for a significant boost in SIP (security infrastructure program) funding, a reduction in red tape to […]
Mayor Valérie Plante and other Montreal politicians condemn the second shooting in less than one week at a Jewish school
Montreal Jewish elementary school Yeshiva Gedola was shot at for the second time in less than one week. Montreal Police (SPVM) received calls around 5 a.m. on Sunday Nov. 12 concerning the sound of gunshots near the school in the city’s Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood. Witnesses told police that a car was seen rapidly fleeing the scene. […]
Toronto Police to expand its hate-crimes unit from six to 28 members in response to a growing number of reported incidents
Toronto Police Services (TPS) will be drastically increasing the size of its specialized hate-crimes unit following a growing number of reported incidents. The unit will now have 20 investigators and eight district special constables. Prior to Oct. 7, the unit had six dedicated officers and no special constables. Special constables interview witnesses and take videos […]
‘From the River to the Sea’ chant prompts Calgary police to charge a Palestinian activist with a hate-related crime
In what might be a precedent-setting case in Canada stemming from the current street protests over the Israel-Hamas war, Calgary police have charged a pro-Palestinian activist who was heard leading a crowd to chant “From the River to the Sea.” In a statement issued Nov. 7, Calgary police said they had charged a 32-year-old Calgary […]
Tense encounters between supporters of Palestine and Israel occur at rallies in Canadian cities—while police report antisemitic hate crimes are up in Toronto
At least five members of Regina’s Jewish community were hurt as heated exchanges between a pro-Israel rally and a significantly larger pro-Palestinian rally turned violent in front of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building on Oct. 15. A young woman in the Jewish group was kicked in the head and several others were punched by protesters from […]
